CVE-2022-26871
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2022-26871 is a critical arbitrary file upload vulnerability in Trend Micro Apex Central that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to upload malicious files to the server. This can lead to remote code execution, potentially giving attackers full control of affected systems. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Trend Micro Apex Central are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Trend Micro Apex Central
📦 What is this software?
Apex Central by Trendmicro
Apex One by Trendmicro
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining administrative privileges, data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement through the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to malware installation, backdoor persistence, and potential data theft from the compromised server.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and security controls, though the vulnerability still presents significant risk.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires no authentication and has been observed in the wild. Attackers can upload arbitrary files including web shells and malware.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apex Central 2019 (Build 6010) and 2020 (Build 6010)
Vendor Advisory: https://success.trendmicro.com/solution/000290678
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest patch from Trend Micro support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply the patch following vendor instructions. 4. Restart the Apex Central service. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
allRestrict network access to Apex Central management interface to trusted IP addresses only.
Configure firewall rules to allow only specific source IPs to access Apex Central web interface ports (typically 443/TCP)
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy WAF with rules to block file upload attempts to vulnerable endpoints.
Configure WAF rules to block POST requests containing file upload patterns to /webconsole/APIController
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the Apex Central server in a dedicated network segment with strict firewall rules
- Implement network monitoring and IDS/IPS to detect exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Apex Central version in the web interface under Help > About or via the installed program version.Check Version:
Check web interface at https://[apex-central-server]/webconsole/ or examine installed program version in Windows.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify version shows 2019 (Build 6010) or higher, or 2020 (Build 6010) or higher. Test file upload functionality is properly restricted.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to /webconsole/APIController
- POST requests with file upload patterns
- Unauthenticated access attempts to administrative endpoints
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /webconsole/APIController with file upload content
- Unusual outbound connections from Apex Central server
SIEM Query:
source="apex-central" AND (uri_path="/webconsole/APIController" AND http_method="POST" AND (content_type="multipart/form-data" OR contains(file_upload)))🔗 References
- https://appweb.trendmicro.com/supportNews/NewsDetail.aspx?id=4435
- https://jvn.jp/vu/JVNVU99107357
- https://success.trendmicro.com/jp/solution/000290660
- https://success.trendmicro.com/solution/000290678
- https://www.jpcert.or.jp/english/at/2022/at220008.html
- https://appweb.trendmicro.com/supportNews/NewsDetail.aspx?id=4435
- https://jvn.jp/vu/JVNVU99107357
- https://success.trendmicro.com/jp/solution/000290660
- https://success.trendmicro.com/solution/000290678
- https://www.jpcert.or.jp/english/at/2022/at220008.html
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-26871
